Validating a connection to an optical circuit switch

Abstract

A system and method of validating a connection to an optical circuit switch include sending a packet of data through a first connection to the optical circuit switch to test whether the packet reaches a second connection to the optical circuit switch. The first connection may be selected for retesting with a third connection and a second packet of data may be sent to the third connection. Data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired may be generated based in part on a determination that the second packet reached the third connection.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for validating a connection to an optical circuit switch comprising:
 generating, by a processing circuit, a packet of data; 
 providing the packet of data to a first connection to the optical circuit switch, the first connection comprising a wired connection to a first port of the optical circuit switch; 
 determining, by the processing circuit, whether the packet of data was communicated through the optical circuit switch to a second connection to the optical circuit switch, the second connection comprising a wired connection to a second port of the optical circuit switch; 
 selecting the first connection for retesting based in part on a determination that the packet of data reached the second connection; 
 retesting the selected first connection by communicating a second packet of data through the first connection to a third connection to the optical circuit switch, the third connection comprising a wired connection to a third port of the optical circuit switch; 
 generating data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired based in part on a determination that the second packet reached the third connection; 
 generating data indicative of the first connection being incorrectly wired based in part on a determination that the second packet of data did not reach the third connection; and 
 generating data indicative of the second connection being incorrectly wired based in part on a determination that the second packet of data did not reach the third connection. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first connection is selected randomly for retesting from among the first and second connections. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 communicating the packet of data to the first port of the optical circuit switch via a port of an Ethernet switch. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retesting the first connection one or more times after communicating the second packet, each of the one or more times corresponding to communicating an additional packet through the first connection, wherein the data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired is generated based on a determination that each of the one or more packets was received by an expected connection to the optical circuit switch. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 determining a probability value representing a probability that the first connection is incorrectly wired but has correctly communicated a number of packets; and 
 using the probability value to determine a number of times the first connection is to be retested before the data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired is generated. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 using the data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired to test one or more other connections to the optical circuit switch. 
 
     
     
       7. A system for validating a connection to an optical circuit switch comprising a processing circuit configure to:
 generate a packet of data; 
 provide the packet of data to a first connection to the optical circuit switch, the first connection comprising a wired connection to a first port of the optical circuit switch; 
 determine whether the packet of data was communicated through the optical circuit switch to a second connection to the optical circuit switch, the second connection comprising a wired connection to a second port of the optical circuit switch; 
 select the first connection for retesting based in part on a determination that the packet of data reached the second connection; 
 retest the selected first connection by communicating a second packet of data through the first connection to a third connection to the optical circuit switch, the third connection comprising a wired connection to a third port of the optical circuit switch; 
 generate data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired based in part on a determination that the second packet reached the third connection; 
 generate data indicative of the first connection being incorrectly wired based in part on a determination that the second packet of data did not reach the third connection; and 
 generate data indicative of the second connection being incorrectly wired based in part on a determination that the second packet of data did not reach the third connection. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first connection is selected randomly for retesting from among the first and second connections. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit is further operable to:
 communicate the packet of data to the first port of the optical circuit switch via a port of an Ethernet switch. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit is further operable to:
 retest the first connection one or more times after communicating the second packet, each of the one or more times corresponding to communicating an additional packet through the first connection, wherein the data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired is generated based on a determination that each of the one or more packets was received by an expected connection to the optical circuit switch. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuit is further operable to:
 determine a probability value representing a probability that the first connection is incorrectly wired but has correctly communicated a number of packets; and 
 use the probability value to determine a number of times the first connection is to be retested before the data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired is generated. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit is further operable to:
 use the data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired to test one or more other connections to the optical circuit switch. 
 
     
     
       13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having machine instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 generating a packet of data; 
 providing the packet of data to a first connection to the optical circuit switch, the first connection comprising a wired connection to a first port of the optical circuit switch; 
 determining whether the packet of data was communicated through the optical circuit switch to a second connection to the optical circuit switch, the second connection comprising a wired connection to a second port of the optical circuit switch; 
 selecting the first connection for retesting based in part on a determination that the packet of data reached the second connection; 
 retesting the selected first connection by communicating a second packet of data through the first connection to a third connection to the optical circuit switch, the third connection comprising a wired connection to a third port of the optical circuit switch; 
 generating data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired based in part on a determination that the second packet reached the third connection; 
 generating data indicative of the first connection being incorrectly wired based in part on a determination that the second packet of data did not reach the third connection; and 
 generating data indicative of the second connection being incorrectly wired based in part on a determination that the second packet of data did not reach the third connection. 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first connection is selected randomly for retesting from among the first and second connections. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 communicating the packet of data to the first port of the optical circuit switch via a port of an Ethernet switch. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 retesting the first connection one or more times after communicating the second packet, each of the one or more times corresponding to communicating an additional packet through the first connection, wherein the data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired is generated based on a determination that each of the one or more packets was received by an expected connection to the optical circuit switch. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 using the data indicative of the first connection being correctly wired to test one or more other connections to the optical circuit switch. 
 
     
     
       18. A method for validating a connection to an optical circuit switch comprising:
 receiving data representative of a set of ports of an optical circuit switch that are to be tested; 
 grouping the ports into pairs such that each port is assigned to at least one pair; 
 for each pair of ports, performing an iterative test comprising:
 generating, by a processing circuit, a packet of data; 
 providing the packet of data to a first connection to the optical circuit switch, the first connection comprising a wired connection to a first port of the pair of ports; 
 determining, by the processing circuit, whether the packet of data was communicated through the optical circuit switch to a second connection to the optical circuit switch, the second connection comprising a wired connection to a second port of the pair of ports; 
 selecting one of the first port and the second port for advancement to a subsequent round of testing, based in part on a determination that the packet of data reached the second connection; 
 
 determining a total number of ports selected for advancement to the subsequent round of testing; 
 responsive to determining that the total number of ports selected for advancement to the subsequent round of testing is greater than two:
 grouping ports selected for advancement to the subsequent round of testing into pairs such that each port is assigned to at least one pair; and 
 repeating the iterative test for each pair of ports selected for advancement to the subsequent round of testing; and 
 
 responsive to determining that the number of ports selected for advancement to the subsequent round of testing is less than or equal to two:
 generating data indicative of the connections associated with the ports selected for advancement to the subsequent round of testing being correctly wired.